Community Forums

larrydp · 02-21-2012, 04:02 PM

What product(s), and what is the procedure(s) you use to clean your holding tank sensors? ON the TT we had, and now our Class C, the black water tank is NEVER accurate. Thanks for your advice!!

ralphie · 02-21-2012, 05:04 PM

And they never will read right IMHO. I've tried everything known to mankind including chemicals, wands and the ice trick. They just scum over and won't work, period.

ArmyEOD · 02-21-2012, 05:18 PM

If the sensors or crusted over with old TP or what ever you may try filling, and dumping a couple of times. Then Fill to about 3/4 full, add 1 cup of liq fabric softner and one cup of Simple Green or Dawn, both cut grease and scum/lime well. Then drive the rig around for thirty min or more so to realy slosh the mix around in the tank. That may help remove the TP or other stuff from the sensors. Drain and rense a couple of times and that may do the trick. Hope this helps you out.

RinkersRanch · 02-21-2012, 05:24 PM

Check out this thread. I used this 'geo' cleaning routine on my tanks this summer and it does work.

trampsrv · 02-21-2012, 05:25 PM

i would like to talk about this but it sounds like a lot of crap to me!

firedoc · 02-21-2012, 05:26 PM

What about the external tank sensors?

larrydp · 02-22-2012, 06:39 AM

We have been using a version of the GEO method but it seems that our problem is that we don't add additional water into the tank....we were putting only the chemicals in. i can see how the addition of water will help our situation.

What is an External Sensor?????

ArmyEOD · 02-22-2012, 06:47 AM

larrydp, yes adding lots of water is the trick, I always add about 1/3 after I dump, and I will add water to full just before dumping, I dump every 5 days or sooner if needed. Lots of water is the key to maintaining the old black tank. Keeps everything from getting hard and keeps the paper moving around to break it up as designed.

RVNeophytes2 · 02-22-2012, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larrydp

What product(s), and what is the procedure(s) you use to clean your holding tank sensors? ON the TT we had, and now our Class C, the black water tank is NEVER accurate. Thanks for your advice!!

Our black tank gage was that way for the longest time.

To be honest, I don't know which of the solutions mentioned above worked, but I employed 'em all!

I think they do a great job -- in isolation or combination -- BUT you gotta stay on top of the bull, once you're cinched down and the gate flies open

Therein lies my contribution: WATER and lots of it. I think our newfound sustained gage accuracy is the result of dumping in 5 gallons of fresh water after each black tank dump and rinse.

Well, that and a high-fiber diet...

jlyon69 · 02-22-2012, 07:48 AM

I don't "clean" my sensors. In the black tank, it's going to be solids that cause sensor malfunctions. In the grey tank it's usually a build up of grease/oils. In either tank your bound to eventually get some kind of build up, but it's always going to be organics.

I use added bacteria to take care of this. This "good" bacteria eats solids/organics and converts them to water and CO2. This keeps both tanks "clean" and my sensors always work fine. In addition, when I dump there is no smell in either tank and it's all liquid. Now if you use the toilet and dump 1 hour later, there will still be those solids still in there. I usually try to wait at least 12 hours before dumping, by then everything is liquid.

We do boondock quite often, since I don't want to dump often, we conserve water and use very little in the toilet. Even when in CGs, we operate the same way. Leaving the tank more full and longer, just helps the bacteria action. I'm not a tree hugger, but it is all natural, costs almost nothing and there no extra work or procedures.

jlfbatonrg · 02-22-2012, 08:36 AM

Where do you get this "good" bacteria? Thanks fpr the reply.

Jim

jlyon69 · 02-22-2012, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlfbatonrg

Where do you get this "good" bacteria? Thanks fpr the reply.

Jim

For a long time I just used Rid-X for septic tanks, found at any hardware. I recently found a liquid product which has advertised better, more powerful and more concentrated bacteria. It does work as advertised and you can read up on it here: Unique RV Digest-It Unique Distributing

I've also recently found it on E Bay.

jlfbatonrg · 02-22-2012, 07:03 PM

jlyon69,

Thanks for the info. I'll check it out.

Jim

larrydp · 02-23-2012, 07:02 AM

I see the repeating theme....WATER!!
another of our problems was that we would start with empty tanks after dumping...........!!!! so, no wonder the sensors stayed goofed up!
THANKS!!!!